the musings of a cynical optimist

Archive for the ‘new product’ Category

Earthquakes are causing destruction and people are rioting in Baltimore, yet i am moved to write after a major hiatus because of a sample of Pepsi Next i received on my walk home from work.

Pictured here: The future

A lovely gal handed it to me saying, ‘Would you like to try a sample? It is sweetened with stevia.’ And grab a sample i did.

Here are 5 reasons why it blows.

1) It’s sweetened with Stevia! Kinda!

I get that pop (or soda as some folks say) isn’t generally considered a health food, but more and more companies are trying to improve their products by making them slightly less awful for us and i thought this may be the case. Plus the girl told me it was sweetened with stevia and she was pretty so i had no reason not to trust her. But, a quick glance at the ingredient list shows that sugar is listed as the 2nd ingredient only behind carbonated water. Stevia is the last ingredient. So to sum it up, there is a shitload of sugar and a dash of stevia.

2) The can is green!

Sometimes companies use green to trick you into thinking things are healthy for you or good for the environment. Stevia leaf is green. This drink is brown. It contains no vegetables and does not help the planet. Do not be deceived.

2) 30 % less sugar!

Daily intake for women is 25 grams of sugar per day. This bad boy only contains 17 grams plus caffeine. This particular sample container is only 220 ml compared to the average can which is 355ml. So after you drink this, you will still have to stress about where to get the rest of your daily sugar intake. Sad times. Luckily, if this product is in a regular tin, you will easily fulfill your sugar quota.

4) No artificial sweeteners!

Instead there are ‘natural flavours’ which i must put in quotes because they are still created in a lab. Even CNN says so. Plus there is caramel colour which is always a favourite.

5) It is no Crystal Pepsi!

This product is not Crystal Pepsi. There is nothing nostalgic about this that reminds me of the good ole 1990s and that alone is reason not to support this beverage. Does it taste better than Crystal Pepsi. Yes. It tastes like a typical cola beverage to me. I don’t know. I’m not a pop sommelier.